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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23067451">Waning Moonlight</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frozenleaf/pseuds/Frozenleaf'>Frozenleaf</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Lonashipping Tumblr Prompts [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pocket Monsters: Sun &amp; Moon | Pokemon Sun &amp; Moon Versions</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Assassin AU, F/M, Tumblr Prompts, crossposting from tumblr</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 08:15:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,139</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23067451</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frozenleaf/pseuds/Frozenleaf</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Happiness, Moon learns, is as subjective and fleeting as the light of the waning moon.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gladio | Gladion/Moon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Lonashipping Tumblr Prompts [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1653031</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Waning Moonlight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>done for the prompt 'i want to be happy but i don't think i deserve it' somehow i wrote 2k words for an au i'll never revisit again</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Moon breathed. Up on the hill, the night air was cool and brisk. Gone was the harsh beating of the sun, and in its place, the light from the waning crescent moon bathed the city below in a quiet shade of blue. From a distance, the faint glow of lamplight from the city's houses contrasted with the night; a collection of buildings that led to the rising shape of the cathedral's dome, at the center. The river that wound its way through the valley looked like it was covered in diamonds, adding the finishing touches to a city so picturesque that it quirked Moon's smile to think she lived within it.</p>
<p>"It's beautiful, isn't it?"</p>
<p>By her side, Gladion grunted. Moon flashed him a half-exasperated, half-affectionate smile. Her bodyguard in name, Gladion was more like a constant companion. A nanny, she sometimes teased, who had to keep her from getting into trouble when she went wandering around the docks or the city or her father's warehouses.</p>
<p>Normally, Gladion would be more responsive to her little conversation starters. But recently, his brow had been perpetually fixed in a worried frown, and while he was always nervous, jumping at every shadow to begin with, lately he seemed... paranoid. His hand had so rarely left the hilt of his dagger, strapped to his side, that she was starting to worry about him.</p>
<p>It was partially why Moon brought him out here. Through the year she'd known him, Gladion tended to relax when they were alone, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. And true to form, while they were like this, seated on the grassy hill, his shoulders did seem less tense, his jaw less clenched, and he actually had his arms folded instead of permanently attached to whatever manner of hidden weapons he had on his person.</p>
<p>"So, what's wrong?" she asked.</p>
<p>Gladion's eyes flicked to her. She caught a hint of something, but it was quickly replaced by his usual, dour expression.</p>
<p>"Nothing's wrong," he answered curtly.</p>
<p>"Of course something's wrong." She rolled her eyes. "You've been on edge ever since you talked to your boss the other day. What was his name, Guzma?" She smirked. "Did he threaten to cut your wages if you didn't find something to <em>actually </em>protect me from?"</p>
<p>"That's- that's not-" Gladion frowned, a sharp sound escaping his lips. "No, he didn't threaten to cut my wages."</p>
<p>"Good, because he's the one that asked Dad to hire you to begin with." That didn't draw out so much as a smile from Gladion, and Moon sighed. "So if it's not Guzma... what's wrong?" she persisted, nudging his foot with her own.</p>
<p>Silence. Normally Gladion would have already snapped at her for being so careless, treating him like a friend instead of a bodyguard. But instead, his lips pressed into a thin line, and he glanced away.</p>
<p>Moon bit her lip. Despite their roles, things always seemed... muddy when it was just the two of them, out and about, instead of constrained to a formal setting. Truthfully, Gladion was the first person she'd ever had the chance to be close to in a long time. In some ways, he was companion and friend, and being around him made her feel... safe. Sometimes, all she'd want was for him to wrap his arms around her and just hold her, away from the noise and chaos of the world.</p>
<p>Not like that would ever come to pass.</p>
<p>Moon sighed, folding her arms over her knees. Peering down on the city and river below, everything felt distant and perfect all at once. Free from the confines of the city and the restrictions placed on her. Yet somehow... she felt lonely.</p>
<p>"Are you happy, Moon?"</p>
<p>The question was sudden, quiet. Edged. When she glanced towards him, Gladion's eyes were firmly trained in the distance, his mouth bearing no hint of the quiet smile she sometimes glimpsed from him.</p>
<p>He looked sad, to her. Lonely, too.</p>
<p>Moon frowned. "I think so," she answered at last, honestly. "I have a good family. A roof over my head. A business that I'll take over once Dad's sure I'm ready. You." She smiled at the last one, catching his eye. "Yes, you, Sourpuss. Meeting you, knowing you, befriending you. That makes me happy, too."</p>
<p>"I see."</p>
<p>If anything, that made him stiffer. Moon frowned. Something was definitely wrong. "Hey," she said, reaching out for his gloved hands, sliding her fingers between his own. That caught his attention, and his green eyes, usually bright and sharp, turned to her. "Are... are you happy, Gladion?" she asked at last.</p>
<p>"Moon, I-" He faltered, emotion flickering in his eyes before he turned away. He huffed, a sound that echoed through the night air. "It- it doesn't matter."</p>
<p>"Sure it does." Moon bit her lip. "You don't get to ask me that question and not answer mine in return."</p>
<p>Gladion grunted, back straight and stiff. "You won't like the answer."</p>
<p>"Why?" Moon hesitated. "Do you hate me, or something? I know I'm not the most dainty, most elegant lady, but-"</p>
<p>"No!" Gladion's gaze snapped back to her, eyes wide. "No, that's not it. It's just, you're- I'm-" He shook his head, clamped his mouth shut.</p>
<p>"Hey." She rubbed her thumb across his knuckles, reached over with her free hand and cupped his cheek. "Something's bothering you, isn't it? I'd like to help."</p>
<p>He looked at her then. Sadder, more defeated than she'd ever seen him. "I don't think you can," he said softly. "Moon... I want to be happy, but I don't think I deserve it."</p>
<p>It was the sincerity in his words that caught her off-guard. The finality in his tone. The way he looked at her, soft and vulnerable and honest. The lingering sadness in his voice.</p>
<p>"What could possibly make you say that?" she asked. "Gladion, you-"</p>
<p>"I'm not a bodyguard." He spoke certainly, clearly. Held her gaze, daring her to disagree.</p>
<p>"Of course you are!" she replied. "You've... it's your job to protect me, isn't it? You've been my bodyguard for a year, I'd think I'd know."</p>
<p>He laughed then. A cold, hopeless chuckle. Moon could only watch in stunned confusion as he pried her hands away, as he folded in on himself, looking smaller than ever.</p>
<p>"I'm not your bodyguard, Moon," he said quietly, his voice deathly still. "I'm not hired to protect you from mud splatters and angry merchants. I'm an assassin for the Skulls. Guzma- my boss- he's been pressuring your father for a debt he's owed him for years. Your father didn't hire me. I'm the assurance for Guzma that he pays."</p>
<p>Moon frowned. Nothing Gladion said was making sense. "So, what, you're here to kill my father if he doesn't pay up?"</p>
<p>"No, Moon." When Gladion looked at her next, his eyes were cold and dark, chillingly empty. "I'm here to kill you."</p>
<p>"Th- that's not a good joke, Gladion." Moon swallowed. "Why would you- you haven't killed anyone before. You can't even kill a fly!"</p>
<p>"I killed my first man when I was fifteen," Gladion answered dully. "My second, the next week. I've killed, and killed... and when I was protecting you, I've killed the assassins your father's competitors sent to get you."</p>
<p>Moon swallowed. "What are you <em>talking </em>about?" she hissed. "This isn't even a good joke, Gladion."</p>
<p>"No, it isn't." Gladion lowered his gaze. "If it was, I'd never be asked to kill someone I actually respect. Someone I actually care about."</p>
<p>Moon's protest died on her tongue. Gladion rarely lied, as far as she knew. He was upfront, straightforward, and rarely dabbled in imaginative fantasies or rambling eloquence. So if what he was saying was true...</p>
<p>"Why are you telling me all of this?" she asked.</p>
<p>"Because you asked." There was that mirthless chuckle once more, and the look on his face was so devoid of hope that it could only mean one thing.</p>
<p>"Dad... couldn't pay Guzma off, could he?" He turned to her, and she swallowed. "If he could... you'd have left already. Maybe you'd never mentioned a thing. So..." Her fingers knotted in front of her, and Moon bit her lip. "How long?"</p>
<p>"Before the new moon." A resigned sigh escaped his lips, and Gladion turned to her. "Do you hate me?" he asked softly. "Are you... scared of me?"</p>
<p>Moon studied him. He'd always held himself with an assured grace, moved with strident purpose. She had no doubt that it was always within Gladion's capability to lodge his dagger in her throat. But still, the face she'd seen just as often as her own was twisted in a hopeless despair, and his eyes were bleak and darkened, the light that always shone in them quenched by his words.</p>
<p>"Are you going to kill me?" she returned, just as quietly.</p>
<p>Gladion froze. Something flickered in his eyes, twisted at his mouth. Then, he whispered, "No. I can't kill the only thing in my life that makes me happy."</p>
<p>Moon's heart dropped. Cracked and broke, shattered like shards of glass cutting through her body. She crumpled forward, laughter bubbling from her gut and through her mouth, even as her eyes began to blur with tears.</p>
<p>"Moon-" A shuffle of grass and leather, a warm hand on her shoulder. She turned, and Gladion cupped her cheek with his free hand, wiped the tears trailing down her cheeks. Green eyes, still dimmed, reflected the moonlight, and Moon wondered how easy it was for him to snap her neck if he wanted to.</p>
<p>But he didn't want to. Pure worry shone from his eyes, and he was so gentle, holding her, that it hurt to think about what he just said. There was too much to take in, too much dumped on her when just a few minutes ago she'd just been a carefree girl, living a life she thought was hers to enjoy.</p>
<p>And if she was marked for death, well, screw it all.</p>
<p>She lunged forward. Seized his collar and pulled him close. Pressed her lips against his desperately, yearning for something that was once an indulgent fantasy. He was warm, his lips soft as they slid against hers, responded to her with equal fervor.</p>
<p>His arms wrapped around her, pushed her down on the grass, and a soft moan escaped her as his tongue parted her lips, tasted her own. The way he claimed her with his mouth was passionate, far more passionate than she'd ever guessed. Her hands tugged him closer, pulling at his hair, his skin. His hands ran down her sides, gloved fingers bracing her hips against him as they held each other tight as if they never wanted to let go.</p>
<p>Finally, they parted. The cold night air brushed past her, and Gladion was resting his forehead against hers, eyes closed. His breath was ragged, his lips swollen.</p>
<p>"Moon," he whispered. "We- we can't."</p>
<p>She breathed. "Because you're going to kill me. Or, if not you-"</p>
<p>"No." His eyes snapped open, searching hers. "No. I couldn't before, but now... I won't. I won't let anyone harm you, as long as I'm alive. But, I-" He cupped her cheek, "I don't deserve this. I don't deserve to be happy."</p>
<p>Her heart twisted, and she blinked back her tears. Before he could protest, she kissed him again, once on the lips, then again on the nose.</p>
<p>"Gladion, that's absolutely horseshit," she answered. "You... I know you. You've protected me, and laughed with me and cared for me even though you <em>knew</em> you might kill me in the end. You deserve more than what Guzma has you doing."</p>
<p>His laugh was broken, weak. "What are we to do, Moon?" he asked.</p>
<p>What were they to do? Moon bit her lip. "We'll run away," she answered at last. "You, me, and dad. Across the sea. Far away where Guzma can't find us."</p>
<p>"Moon-" Gladion began, and she could see the answers in his eyes, the absolute finality of her hopes and dreams.</p>
<p>She kissed him again. Crushed his mouth with her own, pulled him close to silence his protests. He held her, his tongue desperately sliding against her own. He groaned when she moved her hands down his shirt, slid under the parting of his collar.</p>
<p>"Please," she whispered. "Please let me make you happy, Gladion. Just this once."</p>
<p>His eyes shone with a soft pain, yet his hands were gentle as they cradled her. The waning crescent in the sky marked the short time they would have together. And if this was all they were going to have, well-</p>
<p>She kissed him. Guided his hands down to her waist, undid the buttons of his shirt.</p>
<p>And if only for a while, happiness wrapped around them as they bathed in the moonlight.</p>
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